surname

noun

the name used to identify the members of a family (as distinguished from each member's given name)

Roots

supersur- · Latin · over, above nama-name · Germanic · name

Synonyms & related words for surname

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of surname. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to surname

Explore words related to surname — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include agnamed, cognomination, cognomen, forename, matronymic, prename, metronymic, overname. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does surname come from?

The word surname breaks down into 2 roots of Latin and Germanic origin: sur-, from Latin super (“over, above”); and -name, from Germanic nama (“name”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.